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Examples – What Will You Display?

Monday is rehearsal night. As I sit for my name to be called, my son awaits right beside me. When my time is upon us, my son and I stand up. He reaches over to grab my sticks, then begins to walk beside me, stride for stride. Approaching the platform he speeds up a little to get in front of me so that he can enter the cage first. Maneuvering becomes a chest match, because he thinks that he is supposed to sit on the throne. As I lovingly move him to the side, I take my seat. He passes me my drumsticks and I hand him a pair of his own. I place a few hits on the Hi-Hat then stop so that he can follow suit. His hits and rhythms don’t sound like mine (he’s only 2), but when he is done I say, “My man” as I reach for a high five. he hits my hand and smiles the greatest smile one could ever see.

From this I am reminded of a scripture. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he i sold he will not depart from it.” Now I understand this passage has nothing to do with the drums or any other instrument. But this repeated experience with my little man makes me aware that his eyes are ever present on me. He will pick up both the good and the bad that I do. With this knowledge, I have to be cautious in all of my doing.

Somewhere on Social Media, I read these questions, “Would you want your son to be the man that you are today? Would you want your daughter to date or marry a man like you are today?” The answer to both of these questions are no. In writing, especially the type of writing that I do, I should have or appear to have it all together. However, the strength of my writing has always be honesty. And honestly speaking, I don’t have it all together. So what is the remedy?

I begin to correct the things that need to be changed. I model what a godly man is. They need to see me study the Word of God. They need to see me pray. I need to teach them how to study, pray, and be a person after God’s heart. In correcting my wrongs, I explain to them why whatever happened, happened. I explain to my daughter and the cost of bad choice in a way that they can relate to. Then I show them better.

Being an example is an awesome, sometimes overwhelming responsibility. We don’t have to choose it. We don’t have to want it. We don’t even have to acknowledge it. But the reality is and will always be, that we are. Someone is always watching even if you don’t notice. So the question is, what will we display?